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The Rite of ReturnNow that the holidays are over, I find myself wanting to look ahead into the New Year, not back at the holiday just past. Still, I need to. I have a few gifts that weren’t quite right, which I need to return. Not my favorite thing to do, which makes this column as much for me as it is for you. To retailers, returns are lost sales. To us, they represent dollars that should be back in our wallets, not sitting in a closet somewhere losing value with each passing day. The trick is to make returns immediately. Be prepared. Most of the time you will need the receipt, so make sure you have that together with the item to be returned in its original packaging. Know the rules. Retail returns and refunds are not regulated. Each retailer has its own set of rules and conditions. Some are very easy, and others are extremely difficult to comply with. Of course, it would have been best had you shopped only with those retailers that make the process simple. But now is not the time for regret. Instead, find out that retailer’s return policies. If you have online access, you can find this information at that retailer’s website. If not, pick up the phone and call customer service. Find out exactly what you need to bring with you, the time frame in which you have to make a return and the rules about refunds versus store credit. Don’t pick a fight. Before you even get to the front of the line to return your item, keep this in mind: The employee you are about to speak with is just that, an employee.
If you’re dealing with retailers like JCPenney and Target, accept the fact that getting a refund is not going to be easy. They will put you through your paces. Depending on how and when you made the purchase, you may have no choice but to settle for store credit (if the return is allowed at all). And the amount of store credit you receive may be less than the price you paid for that item if it has since gone on sale. If, on the other hand, you’re dealing with retailers like Kohl’s, Costco, L.L.Bean, Bed Bath and Beyond and Zappos.com, you may be pleasantly surprised by how easy and shopper-friendly the return and refund policy is. Honestly, I don’t know how these retailers stay in business with their very generous return policies, but I’m not asking questions. My response is to be very grateful and a loyal customer who willingly shares such great news with others. Like you. In the future, keep retailers’ return and refund policies in mind before you decide where to make the purchase. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CREATORS.COM
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